


Still Need a Date?

by shockandlock



Series: Date Universe [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Dancing, Drunkenness, M/M, Prom, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-13 09:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3376616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shockandlock/pseuds/shockandlock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poor Ace is dateless for senior prom and his brothers are forcing him to go. What's the only solution? Ask the model Marco Phoenix out!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Still Need a Date?

**Author's Note:**

> So I've gotten Ao3 now, and decided to start putting my stuff up on here! I'll be looking forward to seeing things out!
> 
> Based on prompt: Person B is a fairly minor or local celebrity. Person A, a high school student, has recently broken up with the person they were dating and has no date for prom, and A has had a little crush on B for a while. A sends B a message casually asking B to prom, with no expectation that they will receive anything other than a standard “thank you for contacting B” reply. Instead, two weeks before prom, B contacts A and says, “So, still no date for prom?”

Prom Night.

The so-called "highlight" of a high-schooler's career. A moment they would remember for the rest of their lives. Well, if you had a date, that is.

Portgas D. Ace was a muscular, young, and handsome teen (thank you very much). He should have no problem getting a date. Right? There were tons of girls from school who would absolutely  _die_  if he asked them, so what was the problem?

Well, that's exactly what the problem was. Tons of  _girls_. And Ace? Ace was gay.

It wasn't like he didn't appreciate the aesthetic of a woman. Ace had girlfriends in the past, but he wasn't as into it as he could've been.

To be fair, he  _could_  ask a girl to go with him, albeit just as friends, but this was his senior year, and he wanted to at least  _try_  enjoying himself. His brothers were forcing him to go (Luffy and Sabo, the bastards). They already rented his tux and everything!

It's not like those two had any trouble getting dates. Luffy decided to go with his friends, which was to be expected. The Strawhats were always together. Sabo was going with Koala, and that surprised a grand total of  _zero_  people. They could have at least helped him get a date. Why was it that he, the eldest and (in his opinion) most attractive brother, was the one without a date?

It wasn't like he knew anyone to ask. Well... he  _did_  have someone in mind.

Marco Phoenix: the model.

It was no secret (at least to his brothers) that Ace had a huge crush on this man. When Sabo found those clothing catalogs under his bed, he teased Ace to no end. He had figured it out right away, but Luffy was clueless until he was told. More teasing had ensued after that.

Despite the constant teasing, Ace continued his crush. He just couldn't help it! The man was more than handsome and his perfectly sculpted muscles only added to his attractiveness. His silly pineapple haircut had charm, and  _those eyes_... Marco Phoenix was the most attractive man in the city, damn it!

But why would Ace even think of asking  _Marco Phoenix _to his high school prom? Well let's just say he was humoring himself. It's not like the man was going to write back.__

Now here he was, staring at a blank piece of paper and clicking a pen anxiously. He had already made a few attempts (the overflowing waste basket said otherwise) at writing a letter to the man. Honestly, he didn't know what to write. It felt embarrassing, like he was a teenage girl or something.

_'Should I include a picture?'_  he wondered. He pulled a spare picture of him, Luffy, and Sabo out and circled his own face hesitantly.  _'I feel like a hitman.'_

There was a sudden beep from his phone, alerting him of the time.  _'Shit. 1am.'_

Ace decided that this would be his final attempt and that he would send it no matter what. He spun the pen in his fingers so that the tip was touching the page and began to write frantically, both nervous and eager for sleep.

"Alright! Dear Marco Phoenix..."

* * *

Fan mail.

The love and words of the people who support you. A definite "highlight" of any celebrity's career. Right? Well, if you didn't have to sort it, that is.

The process was tedious and boring. Marco  _hated_  it. The content of the mail itself wasn't bad, but he was only allowed to read them after he sorted them. No fun. They were separated into categories from modeling requests to fan girl stalker letters (the latter of which made Marco shudder).

Many of these fan girl letters (both extreme and toned-down ones) requested dates. Hundreds upon hundreds of dates (Marco thought about sending them actual dates once, but apparently having a sense of humor is frowned upon). Many of these girls were good-looking, so why didn't he take the chance?

That's exactly the problem. Hundreds of dates.  _With girls_. And Marco? Marco was gay.

So now here he was, sorting through another pile of be-my-boyfriend letters laced with lipstick and heart-shaped stickers. Thankfully he was able to rope Thatch in on this torture too.

"Remind me again. Why do I have to do this?" Thatch whined.

"Because you like to look at girls, yoi."

This was true, as the brunet used this as an opportunity to possibly find a girlfriend. He failed every time, which was no surprise to anyone.

Marco was tired of reading all these declarations of love. He was tired of looking at pictures of long-haired girls, short-haired girls, tall girls, short girls, etc, etc. The model sighed in discontent.  _'I want to take a nap, yoi.'_  he thought as his eyes closed slowly.

"Hey! This one's from a guy!"

The blond's eyes snapped open. He rarely ever got fan mail from men. Maybe there was a chance? He snatched the letter out of his brother's hand and tore it open.

"Whoa! Slow down there, speed racer! I know you're  _absolutely desperate_  for a boyfriend, but isn't it a little too soon to go perving on this guy?"

His teasing was ignored.

The first thing that fell out was a photograph. There were three teenage boys and one of their faces was circled in red pen. Marco assumed that this was the fan that sent the letter. When he focused the raven haired boy inside the circle, all coherent thought stopped.

Was he good-looking?  _Definitely._  Muscular, too. Freckles dotted his face like stars and an adorable grin adorned it.

Fingers snapping in his face brought him back to reality. "Marco? You're blushing." He looked back up at Thatch only to be met with a smug look and wiggling eyebrows.

"Stop that," he snapped, unfolding the letter.

_Dear Marco Phoenix,_

_Hey! Or is that too informal? Sorry, I don't really know how these things work. I'll start off with my name. My name is Portgas D. Ace. I'm a senior at Grand Line high school. I bet that it's not every day that you get fan mail from a guy. Right? I hope this letter doesn't make you uncomfortable._

_Anyways, I'm a big fan of your work. Is it fun? Some of the girls at my school tell me that I should get into modeling, but I'm not really sure if that suits me._

_Speaking of suits, the tux that my brothers rented me is one that you modeled! Oh, I should probably give you some context. It's prom season at my school. My brothers rented me a tux because they're forcing me to go. Without a date._

_That's exactly what this letter is about. I know it might be weird, but please read what I have to say. If you're not busy that day, would you maybe consider being my date?_

_Okay, okay. I'm sorry if I'm creeping you out right now. You don't have to even respond if you don't want to. Maybe you could think about it?_

_Sorry for disturbing you,_

~~_Fire Fist Ace_ ~~

_(Oh, sorry! That's my nickname)_

_Portgas D. Ace._

Oh? Now  _this_  was an interesting offer. Ace was definitely handsome and Marco was _definitely_ interested. And besides, what's the harm in surprising a fan?

"I'm not sure that I like that look on your face, man."

"Shut up, yoi."

* * *

Prom night rolled around and Ace was still dateless. Unfortunately, his brothers still expected him to go, so he begrudgingly donned the tux. It was pretty expensive to rent and it would be a waste not to use it.

Ace sighed. Currently, he was alone in their house. Luffy and Sabo had gone on ahead to meet their dates (in Luffy's case, group). He was fiddling with the bow tie in an attempt to tie it. It was no use. Ace rarely wore fancy clothing, and Sabo was better with these things. He guessed that he would get the him to tie it later. Ace looked in the mirror, admitting that he cleaned up nicely even with the tie hanging around his neck.

It was a shame. Dateless on prom night.

Ace was barely listening, but he heard the doorbell ring. Nobody should have been visiting, but he decided to at least see who it was before heading out.

When he opened the door, he glanced at the clock, noting that he would be late if he stayed any longer. "Sorry. I've got somewhere to be, so please make this qui-"

Once Ace saw who was on his front porch, he almost had a heart attack.

The man in front of him smiled at him charmingly, illuminated by the porch light. This only made Ace's face heat up even more. _Marco Phoenix_  smoothed the light blue tie that stood out from the rest of his suit and offered a hand to Ace.

"So, Fire Fist Ace. Still need a date for prom?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace still can't believe this entire situation, but it never hurts to break the ice.

 

Marco pulled up to the house of one Portgas D. Ace in his sleek, black car (paid for the by the company, of course). Finding his address was simple (thankfully). Luckily, Pops knew the boy's grandfather, so it was only a matter of asking. He hadn't contacted the boy beforehand. That may have been a poor decision, but Marco wanted this to be a surprise. He hoped that Ace still needed a date, otherwise this would be extremely awkward.

Before he left, he had changed into a simple suit. Marco didn't want to dress too spectacularly. After all, this  _was_  Ace's night. But he also wanted to impress his date. Because of this, he chose a light blue silk tie to highlight his outfit. As usual, he looked good, which was to be expected considering his job.

What he wasn't expecting was the overwhelming wave of nervousness that washed over him as he parked. What if this was some sort of prank? What if he didn't like the  _real_  Marco? He finally had a chance. He liked Ace's letter (and the picture too). He legitimately wanted to date this boy. Pushing his anxiety out of his mind, the model climbed out of his car and walked up to the front door.

He raised his hand hesitantly, unsure whether he should knock or ring the doorbell. He wanted to make sure that Ace knew he was here, but maybe ringing was too impolite. He wasn't sure what to do as he never really visited anyone normally. Deciding that he wanted to be heard, he rang the doorbell and waited anxiously.

After a few minutes had passed, the door was opened suddenly by an inattentive house occupant. Even though he was looking away, Marco knew that this was the boy who had written him. He recognized that freckled face right away (though this was probably because he had spent hours staring at his picture). "Sorry. I've got somewhere to be, so please make this qui-" Ace stopped as soon as he turned and saw Marco's face. He looked as if he was about to pass out on the spot.

Marco quickly smoothed his tie and flashed the teen a charming smile. His question left his lips naturally as he offered a hand out to the raven-haired teen. "So, _Fire Fist Ace_ , still need a date for prom?"

Ace's face lit up with a vibrant blush. He was so shocked, that Marco could barely understand him. "You're- oh my- what the-" he stuttered. Marco found it adorable.

"Yes?"  _My god_... The teen could feel his heart flutter in his chest as the man standing across from him spoke. That speech quirk only increased Ace's attraction towards the man.

"Is this a joke?" he asked in disbelief. This whole situation was like a dream. He never imagined that Marco would actually respond, let alone _go with him!_  "Do you even  _like_  men?"

The model's charming smile slowly turned into a small smirk. Ace found that extremely sexy. "Why do you think there's no news of me with a girlfriend, yoi?" he asked in an almost teasing manner. Ace's blush only darkened. He had never really thought about that before. To his knowledge, whenever Marco Phoenix went out in public, he was usually alone.

"So you..."

"I do, yoi. You could say that I saw your letter as an opportunity."

"Opportunity?"

"Everyone always says that it's bad for publicity, yoi. But maybe if they met you?"

"We hardly know each other though."

"I like your guts, Ace," Marco declared bluntly.

"Eh?!"

"You were brave enough to send that letter, and besides," he stepped closer and ran his fingers along Ace's chin, making the boy shiver. "You're pretty cute, yoi."

"I'm not cute!" the freckled teen protested a little too quickly causing Marco to chuckle. "Hey!"

"Like I said, yoi, cute." His eyes scanned his date and caught the attention of the bow tie hanging loosely around his neck. "Need help with that?"

"Yeah, thanks." Ace looked away and relaxed his arms at his side as his incredibly handsome  _date_ moved the cloth end over end, securing it perfectly around his neck. He remained silent, unsure of what to say. Luckily, Marco picked up the conversation for him.

"There, yoi," he said pulling at the ends of the tie. Offering his hand to the teen again, he asked, "Shall we get going?"

Finally seeming to snap out of his shock, Ace enthusiastically nodded and took Marco's hand. Making sure he had his phone and wallet, he shut the door behind him and let himself be led to the celebrity's car.

* * *

The two were probably halfway to the prom venue when Marco noticed his date fidgeting in his leather seat.

"What's wrong, yoi?" The question posed by the older man broke the silence that had earlier enveloped the car.

The young man fiddled with his hands in his lap. "Erm... Could I ask a bit about you? Maybe?" he asked as he looked down, nervous about his simple request being rejected.

"Sure. Ask away," Marco replied with a warm smile.

"So, um, what's your family like?" Ace asked after struggling to find a question.

"Really?" Of all the things he could ask a celebrity, he chooses to ask about family? It wasn't that Marco minded, but rather he found it strange. The question was so plain. So generic. Oh well. They had plenty of time to get to know each other.

"I couldn't think of a question, okay?" The younger of the two defended.

"No it's fine, yoi." Marco paused and took time to think about what to say first. "I have fifteen siblings," he finally answered.

"Fifteen?!" Without a doubt, he could tell that his date wanted to hear more.

"We're adopted, yoi, and I'm the oldest." The statement rolled off his tongue naturally as he had to explain it many times before.

Ace's eyes seemed to light up at this. "Really? Me too!"

"Hm?"

"You know that picture I sent you?"

Marco nodded. Of course he knew the picture. He spent hours staring at it, after all.

"Those were my younger brothers, Luffy and Sabo!"

He thought back to the letters. "The ones that are forcing you to go?"

"Uh huh," Ace answered shortly as he shifted in his seat to face his date. "They already had people to go with. Sabo, he's the blond one, has a girlfriend. Lu's asexual, so he's going with all his friends."

"So," Marco started, giving the student an interested glance. "A homosexual older brother, heterosexual middle brother, and a asexual younger brother. I wonder what Garp thinks of that, yoi," the blond mused.

This statement confused the raven-haired boy. The name that had just some out of Marco's mouth was… "You know gramps?"

"Pops knows him. I met him a few times. That's how I got your address, yoi."

"Pops?" Ace questioned, tipping his head.

"Whitebeard, yoi," Marco replied simply.

At this, Ace seemed to reenter a state of shock, albeit less intense then the one in response to Marco's arrival. Still, he wasn't expecting Marco to say something like that! "Your dad is _Whitebeard_?!"

Whitebeard was one of the most influential men in the city. He was an old and wealthy man. There was not a soul in the city that did not know his name. "Is it really that surprising?" Marco questioned with the raise of an eyebrow.

"No, no!" the raven haired boy responded quickly, afraid that he had said something to upset the man. For a moment he thought that Marco was mad and would kick him out of the car, but when he was given a look to continue, he said, "I'm just surprised that nobody talks about it."

"That's understandable, yoi," Marco answered, corners of his lips upturning slightly. "Pops tries to prevent any media coverage on the family itself."

"Hey! Why are you smiling like that?"

The model's smile only widened at Ace's outburst. "You looked worried for a second, yoi." The car slowed to stop at a red light and he turned so his date could see more of his face. "It was cute."

The boy pouted, but didn't respond.

A few minutes later, the two pulled up to Grand Line High. The building was adorned with streamers and balloons. The entrance was illuminated by colored lights.

Marco pulled into an empty parking space relatively far from the entrance and silenced the engine with the turn of a key. Ace moved to open the door and get out, but his date stopped him. Confused, he sat there for a few seconds as Marco climbed out and left him alone in the car. He waited until Marco opened his door and took his hand. "Well?" he asked. "Let's go, yoi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some things are a bit different, but it remained mostly the same from the original. Moving this story has really given me a chance to add upon some things, which is nice.
> 
> Thank you for reading~


	3. An Unexpected Occurence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something strange happens, worrying more than just Marco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally would've had this up sooner, but I've been super tired lately. Sorry about that. I'll try to be more consistent since I'm just moving these.

Sabo should have expected his brother to be late. The boy had probably been distracted by one thing or another, be it his own tie or a narcoleptic attack. Sabo really hoped it wasn't a narcoleptic attack. He thought that Ace took his medicine. If that wasn't the case, then Ace would have quite the experience trying to drive here.

 _'Maybe I should go and get him,'_  he thought, taking a sip from his cup of sweet punch.  _'What were we thinking, leaving him like that to drive on his own?'_

He felt someone latch onto his arm and he smiled. "Is something wrong?" a girlish voice asked. "You don't seem to be enjoying  _yourself."_

"No, no! I'm fine, Koala," he replied quickly to reassure his girlfriend. "How could I not be enjoying myself? You look absolutely gorgeous tonight, after all," he said as he took her hand and spun her in a circle.

"Oh,  _you_ ," she giggled at her boyfriend's flattery, the skirt of her lightly rose-colored gown swirling around her legs as she spun.

"Who?  _Me?_  Whatever do you mean?" Sabo asked, playfully feigning obliviousness. He leaned in and gave a quick kiss to the tip of her nose. At this, Koala's giggling intensified, causing a few stares.

"Oi, Sabo!" someone shouted. Once he turned, he saw Luffy bounding towards him, the rest of the Strawhats in tow. He stopped in front of his brother and grinned.

"I see they managed to stuff you into a suit," Sabo mused, "though you still have your hat and sandals."

The younger one frowned back and tugged at his tie. "Of course I have my hat, stupid Sabo!" he replied, childishly sticking his tongue out. "Oi, Nami!" he called, turning his neck to look at the redhead. "When can I take this off? It's so stuffy!"

Nami wasted no time in going up to Luffy and smacking on the head. "This is prom, moron! Could you bear to be even a little patient?" she barked.

"Nope," he replied bluntly as he picked his nose.

"Stop that!"

Sabo chuckled and gave a short wave to the others. "Hey. You guys clean up nice," Koala remarked politely from his side. In response she was given a couple of flattered grins, blushes, and some trademark denial from little Chopper.

"Oi, Lu," Sabo called.

The redhead and the straw hat-wearing boy stopped arguing, attention having been seized by the older blond. "Yeah?" Luffy asked, tipping his head.

"Have you seen Ace yet?" Luffy had left the house after him. Maybe he knew something about Ace.

"Nope," the youngest brother replied simply, popping the 'p' loudly. His mind quickly changed subjects as he looked around and wondered, "Is there any food? I'm starving!" He skipped off, in search of snacks and drinks.

"Moron, you just ate!" Sanji yelled, running after him. The rest of the Strawhats followed in a panic, hoping that Luffy wouldn't make too much of a mess.

"They're as lively as ever," Koala smiled.

Sabo only sighed, annoyance at his older brother raised. "Geez. Where could that boy be?"

* * *

Of all the weird things that could have happened, this one took the cake in Marco's opinion. When he opened the car door of his date, he wasn't expecting to find said date unconscious in the front seat. Logically, in the time it took Marco to get from one side of the car to the other, there was nothing that could have possibly put Ace in that state. He hoped nothing was wrong with him. It would suck if there had to be a hospital visit on their _first date_.

 _'Should I call an ambulance?'_ he thought, panic swelling his chest. He fumbled for his phone in his pockets, but just as he was about to dial, he heard soft snores coming from the freckled boy.

Ace had fallen asleep.

Marco never knew anyone who could fall asleep that fast. It didn't seem humanly possible. He had to admit, Ace's sleeping face was actually very adorable. But after all the boy's excitement, how did he fall asleep? And why? Maybe Ace actually found him...  _boring?_

Pushing past the small flutter of disappointment, Marco took his date by the shoulders and gently shook him to wake him up. "Ace, wake up. We have to go, yoi."

Suddenly Ace's eyes shot open, sending a shock to Marco's heart. He yawned loudly and blinked a few times before he realized the situation he was in. "Gah! Did I fall asleep? Sorry, Marco," he apologized with a vibrant blush.

Marco chuckled. Though he couldn't just brush off the event like nothing happened, he had to admit that Ace was cuter than ever. "Are you okay, yoi?" he asked with concern, offering out his hand. "I thought something was wrong."

Ace nodded, taking the hand and climbing out of the luxurious car. Looking away, still embarrassed, he reponded, "I'm fine. It's just that, uh, I have narcolepsy."

The word peaked the model's interest. He had heard of narcolepsy, but he never actually met someone with it. "You mean you fall asleep whenever?" he asked curiously.  _'This is good, yoi. We're getting to know each other. He's still interested,'_ Marco reassured himself.

"Yep. I have meds to help with it though. I thought I took 'em, but I guess the comfortable car seats made me fall asleep!" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

It seemed to work because Marco gave another chuckle, causing Ace to smile back. "Don't worry about it, yoi," the model started. "It's nice to know something new about you. And besides," Smirking, he reached out and wiped a drop of drool off the freckled boy's chin. "you're still cute."

"Ah!" Ace blushed once again in surprise, not realizing the presence of the embarrassing saliva.

"Just be glad you didn't get any drool on your tux." Marco hooked his arm with Ace's and led his date towards the building. "Let's head inside, yoi."

Upon reaching the door, he pulled it open and gestured politely. Ace took a step inside and then stopped. "Um, Marco?"

"Something wrong, yoi?"

Ace fiddled with his hands. "It's just... Not everyone knows yet. That I'm gay."

Marco smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said. "Same goes for me, yoi." Letting go of the door, he took Ace's hand. "Just show everyone that same bravery you showed me when you wrote your letter."

Staring back into Marco's blue eyes as a silent 'thank-you', Ace took a deep breath and asked, "Together?"

"Together."

When the two entered the gym, Ace nervously gripped Marco's arm tighter. "People are staring," he whispered, darting his eyes around. He could he see the other prom attendees muttering to their dates. He swore he heard something along the lines of  _'oh my god'_  and an exclamation of ' _he's gay?'_  somewhere in there. It didn't help to quell Ace's anxiety at all.

Suddenly the beat of a song picked up (Ace didn't remember the name) and everyone went back to their partying. The teen sighed in relief. "See?" his date said. "It's fine for now, yoi. Though I can't say the same about the rest of the night," Marco continued, glancing around at some girls who were staring, an adoring look in their eyes.  _'Probably fans,'_  he noted.

"It's not as bad as I thought. I just hope that we can enjoy ourselves, I guess."

With a smile, Marco stepped back from him and gave a small bow. "Well, Portgas D. Ace? Are you ready for the night of your life, yoi?"

Ace couldn't help but laugh at the model's charming actions. "Yeah!"

"Oi, Ace!"

Oh dear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading~

**Author's Note:**

> I've added/improved some things, but let me know if you see any mistakes.


End file.
